Space Drones

[AFK]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40491145/ns/technology_and_science-space/

After seven months in space, the U.S. Air Force's secretive X-37B unmanned space plane returned to Earth today to wrap up a debut flight shrouded in secrecy.

The robotic X-37B space plane landed at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to end its maiden voyage. The space plane, also known as Orbital Test Vehicle 1, glided back to Earth over the Pacific Ocean before landing at the revamped Vandenberg runway at about 1:16 a.m. PST (0916 GMT) Dec. 3.

"Today's landing culminates a successful mission based on close teamwork between the 30th Space Wing, Boeing and the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office," said Lt Col Troy Giese, X-37B program manager from the AFRCO, which oversaw the mission. "We are very pleased that the program completed all the on-orbit objectives for the first mission."

In all, the X-37B space plane spent more than 220 days in orbit. Air Force officials said earlier this week that the X-37B could land anytime between Dec. 3 to Dec. 6.

The Air Force has kept the exact nature and cost of the X-37B's secretive mission a closely guarded secret, but some analysts and skywatchers have speculated that the spacecraft served as an unmanned orbital spy platform.

The Air Force launched the robot space plane atop an equally unmanned Atlas 5 rocket on April 22. Since then, the spacecraft has orbited Earth, at times tracked by meticulous skywatchers who first spotted the spacecraft in space using telescopes, then noticed its apparent manuevers to change orbits.

"This is a historical first, not only for Vandenberg Air Force Base, but for the Air Force and our nation to receive a recoverable spacecraft here and really take a step forward in advancing unmanned space flight," said 30th Space Wing commander Col. Richard Boltz in a statement before the landing.

The X-37B space drone is robotic winged spacecraft that looks in many ways like a miniature space shuttle. It was built by Boeing's Phantom Works Division in Seal Beach, Calif., and can fly long, extended missions because of its solar array power system, which allows it to stay in orbit for up to 270 days, Air Force officials have said.

X-37B's mystery mission
Air Force officials have said the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle 1 is being used to demonstrate and test guidance, navigation and control systems, as well as evaluate autonomous landing techniques for winged spacecraft. Details about any experimental payloads on the spacecraft are classified, Air Force officials have said.

Before the April launch of the Orbital Test Vehicle 1 flight, Gary Payton, Air Force deputy undersecretary of space programs, said that the X-37B is not a space weapon.

Not a space weapon...yet. 

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Of course it's a fucking weapon.   

[Requia ☣]

I cannot for the life of me figure out why the airforce would want a reentry system like that for a space probe.  It's far more sophisticated than a weapon needs to be, and there isn't anything up there I can think of them wanting to bring back.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I cannot for the life of me figure out why the airforce would want a reentry system like that for a space probe.  It's far more sophisticated than a weapon needs to be, and there isn't anything up there I can think of them wanting to bring back.

270 days of loiter time with a few depleted uranium rods hooked to the bottom, each with a targeting device and a small rocket to re-enter when desired.  Can be landed and reloaded, doesn't leave any junk to re-enter.

If I was going to drop a train on an enemy leader's house, that's how I'd do it.

But I have a filthy mind.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Also, could do a royal job on enemy satellites without leaving a trace, or giving any warning.

In opposing orbit, pitch out a sack of BBs, change orbit.  24,000 MPH relative velocity shotgun.

[AFK]

I cannot for the life of me figure out why the airforce would want a reentry system like that for a space probe.  It's far more sophisticated than a weapon needs to be, and there isn't anything up there I can think of them wanting to bring back.

As Roger said, I don't think it's about bringing anything back.  I think it's going to be about raining hell upon an enemy.  I can't think of why they would need something of that size simply for espionage.  

[LMNO]

Also, could do a royal job on enemy satellites without leaving a trace, or giving any warning.

In opposing orbit, pitch out a sack of BBs, change orbit.  24,000 MPH relative velocity shotgun.

Whoa.  You're good.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I cannot for the life of me figure out why the airforce would want a reentry system like that for a space probe.  It's far more sophisticated than a weapon needs to be, and there isn't anything up there I can think of them wanting to bring back.

As Roger said, I don't think it's about bringing anything back.  I think it's going to be about raining hell upon an enemy.  I can't think of why they would need something of that size simply for espionage.  

Well, this lets you do all the above.  Counter-satellite, spying, and dropping a few hundred metric tons of rest mass on uncooperative leaders' houses.  Plus, it's probably of composite material construction, so it would be a bitch to keep track of, so nobody outside of the pentagon would know how many are up there.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Also, could do a royal job on enemy satellites without leaving a trace, or giving any warning.

In opposing orbit, pitch out a sack of BBs, change orbit.  24,000 MPH relative velocity shotgun.

Whoa.  You're good.

I have a criminal mind.

[Requia ☣]

I cannot for the life of me figure out why the airforce would want a reentry system like that for a space probe.  It's far more sophisticated than a weapon needs to be, and there isn't anything up there I can think of them wanting to bring back.

270 days of loiter time with a few depleted uranium rods hooked to the bottom, each with a targeting device and a small rocket to re-enter when desired.  Can be landed and reloaded, doesn't leave any junk to re-enter.

If I was going to drop a train on an enemy leader's house, that's how I'd do it.

But I have a filthy mind.

Oh I get dropping shit on people.  I just don't get that the reentry systems actually cost less than what it would take to blow the thing up and let re re-entry melt the fragments, then launch a new one.

On the other hand... it'd be a lot easier to keep its purpose secret if you only build one.  And if its specifically something like depleted uranium, I suppose incineration wouldn't hide those if you had to bring it in still loaded.

[AFK]

I suspect there is probably more than one. 

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I cannot for the life of me figure out why the airforce would want a reentry system like that for a space probe.  It's far more sophisticated than a weapon needs to be, and there isn't anything up there I can think of them wanting to bring back.

270 days of loiter time with a few depleted uranium rods hooked to the bottom, each with a targeting device and a small rocket to re-enter when desired.  Can be landed and reloaded, doesn't leave any junk to re-enter.

If I was going to drop a train on an enemy leader's house, that's how I'd do it.

But I have a filthy mind.

Oh I get dropping shit on people.  I just don't get that the reentry systems actually cost less than what it would take to blow the thing up and let re re-entry melt the fragments, then launch a new one.

On the other hand... it'd be a lot easier to keep its purpose secret if you only build one.  And if its specifically something like depleted uranium, I suppose incineration wouldn't hide those if you had to bring it in still loaded.

Yep.  

Also consider the political angle.  The only people who will pay attention besides the war porn freaks are the space enthusiasts, who will laud this, because there's nothing else left.  So the public hears "weapon superiority" and "At least we're still in space", and doesn't make a ruckus.

A plain old killer satellite, on the other hand, is just another boondoggle, in the mind of the public.  This is Battlestar Galactica shit, and the public's gonna eat it up.

[AFK]

Which is funny when you think of all the guff Reagan got for his Star Wars program.  And this has the great potential, if not actuality, of being Missile Offense

[Don Coyote]

I cannot for the life of me figure out why the airforce would want a reentry system like that for a space probe.  It's far more sophisticated than a weapon needs to be, and there isn't anything up there I can think of them wanting to bring back.

270 days of loiter time with a few depleted uranium rods hooked to the bottom, each with a targeting device and a small rocket to re-enter when desired.  Can be landed and reloaded, doesn't leave any junk to re-enter.

If I was going to drop a train on an enemy leader's house, that's how I'd do it.

But I have a filthy mind.

Also, could do a royal job on enemy satellites without leaving a trace, or giving any warning.

In opposing orbit, pitch out a sack of BBs, change orbit.  24,000 MPH relative velocity shotgun.

I had those same thoughts.

[Persona Facade]

I cannot for the life of me figure out why the airforce would want a reentry system like that for a space probe.  It's far more sophisticated than a weapon needs to be, and there isn't anything up there I can think of them wanting to bring back.

270 days of loiter time with a few depleted uranium rods hooked to the bottom, each with a targeting device and a small rocket to re-enter when desired.  Can be landed and reloaded, doesn't leave any junk to re-enter.

If I was going to drop a train on an enemy leader's house, that's how I'd do it.

But I have a filthy mind.

Oh I get dropping shit on people.  I just don't get that the reentry systems actually cost less than what it would take to blow the thing up and let re re-entry melt the fragments, then launch a new one.

On the other hand... it'd be a lot easier to keep its purpose secret if you only build one.  And if its specifically something like depleted uranium, I suppose incineration wouldn't hide those if you had to bring it in still loaded.

Yep.  

Also consider the political angle.  The only people who will pay attention besides the war porn freaks are the space enthusiasts, who will laud this, because there's nothing else left.  So the public hears "weapon superiority" and "At least we're still in space", and doesn't make a ruckus.

A plain old killer satellite, on the other hand, is just another boondoggle, in the mind of the public.  This is Battlestar Galactica shit, and the public's gonna eat it up.

Well stated. However, you cannot deny the fact that it exists and this knowledge has been released to general public is exciting; it means the government is already in the works of creating something to make this ship obsolete.